The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) says the government-backed Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme could provide the US$38.94 million required to complete stalled infrastructure works at the Cowdray Park Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing scheme, potentially resolving years of service delivery challenges in the suburb.
Presenting the project’s status during a recent parliamentary oversight visit to Bulawayo, BCC Acting Director of Works Engineer Methusi Dibidi said council had embraced the programme after failing to secure funding to complete roads, sewer, water, stormwater drainage and public lighting.
The initiative, launched in April 2023, supports the regularisation of informal and partially serviced settlements while financing essential infrastructure through partnerships with private developers.
“The main challenge here in Cowdray Park is funding. The Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle scheme, handed over to council in 2012, was designed as a self-financing project in which beneficiaries initially contributed US$50 per month before the amount was reduced to US$15,” Eng Dibidi said.
On this topic
“Following Zimbabwe’s currency changes in 2018 and 2019, residents’ contributions effectively ceased, leaving the project without a sustainable funding source.”
Eng Dibidi said Cowdray Park, which covers about 867 hectares, with an estimated population of 75 000, requires the provision of water, sewerage, roads, stormwater drainage and public lighting.
Although the original servicing cost was estimated at US$46 million, Eng Dibidi said council only managed to raise about US$12.6 million through resident contributions, donations and grants.
“As a result, water reticulation is now 98 percent complete, sewer infrastructure stands at 33 percent while roads are only four percent complete, leaving many residents with poor access and forcing some households to continue relying on Blair toilets because sewer connections have not reached their properties,” Eng Dibidi said.
He said updated engineering designs estimate that completing the outstanding works will require aboutUS$38.94 million.
“We’ve been approached by the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme, a government programme. We are now embracing this intervention,” he said.
“As council, we made a resolution sometime last year to embrace Kwangu/Ngakwami. We have been engaging them and they’ve been consulting the residents in Cowdray Park. The latest development is that they’ve submitted their detailed designs and we have approved them in principle. There are minor issues they are attending to.”
Leave a Reply